This page was produced in partnership with our sponsor IGT. Learn more about our editorial policy.
IGT has been pushing the boundaries of how a Lock & Respin bonus works in recent years, with popular game themes like Prosperity Link and Mystery of the Lamp. Their newest theme, the Tiger and Dragon slot machine, continues that innovation with a new way for cash on reels to be awarded with a win-what-you-see structure that gets amplified in the various bonuses.
Even more, Tiger and Dragon introduces the concept of Up Arrows, which can dramatically boost your wins by growing the credit prizes. Let’s explore this brand-new game and what makes it so special!
Base Game
The game is a 5×3 reel set and is a Multiway game – there are no lines, so as long as symbols appear on consecutive reels, you can win!
The game features a unique bet panel with two sets of credit options. The game can be played for as little as 75 credits (75 cents at a one cent denomination), but as you increase your bet, you increase the chances of a jackpot progressive, as well as the frequency of the features.
The unique betting structure on this single-denomination game offers a variety of options – it is not forced 75 credit steps, but instead other options like 100 credits, giving players more direct control over exactly how much they’d like to bet per spin. For bigger bettors, it goes up to 3000 credits, or $30 a spin on one cent denomination.
There are 10 pay table symbols, plus gong symbols with Up Arrows that can exponentially increase credit values, (we’ll get to that in a moment), and the Tiger and Dragon symbols, which are your bonus symbols.
The Tiger and Dragon bonus symbols can trigger a natural bonus when you land three of the same symbols, or five of the two symbols mixed together. And a bonus can be randomly triggered if at least one bonus symbol lands.
There are two versions of Tiger and Dragon, and the differences can be found in the base game around how the gongs provide additional value:
- Cash on Reels: In this version, players want to line up gongs with credit prize values across the reels from left to right. The more gongs, the larger the prize! Up Arrows can appear, increasing the first number, which raises the total value of the credit prize. A single gong can house up to three digits, and a single Up Arrow can increase the gong’s number by up to 90!
- Multiplier: Each gong serves as a wild symbol and will acquire a multiplier of between 2x and 10x. Multiple gongs can offer multiple multipliers, combining to enhance the wins substantially.
Aside from the base game gongs, there are three shared bonuses, and a shared feature, each version offers.
Mystery Gong Feature
“Every gong that lands on the reels ‘charges’ the giant gong at the top of the screen. At any time, the giant gong can drop gongs down to the reels and can generate huge wins.
When gongs connect horizontally across the reels, numbers will appear. The Up Arrows are available in this feature as well, boosting the first digit for a bigger win. Multiple Up Arrows can deliver multiple upgrades to that first number, and a single arrow can also upgrade a gong by up to 90.
Tiger Bonus
This bonus is triggered either when three Tiger symbols appear on a single spin, or at least one Tiger symbol appears, where the bonus is randomly triggered (the chests are a persistence element and don’t give any hints as to whether a bonus is due).
This bonus is similar to a traditional Lock & Respin bonus with three spins awarded, and the counter resetting when you land another gong. This is played on the same 5×3 reel set size as the base game and ends when you either go three spins without adding another gong, or fill the board with gongs.
Any row with two or more adjacent gongs will reveal numbers or Up Arrows on the connected gongs, with Up Arrows increasing the value of the first gong number, upgrading the resulting credit prize accordingly.
Dragon Bonus
Like the Tiger bonus, it is triggered naturally with three Dragon symbols appearing on a single spin, or can be triggered randomly when at least one Dragon symbol appears on a spin.
Here, you get an expanded 5×8 reel set… but just a single spin to land as many gongs as you can! Two or more adjacent gongs in a row will spin to reveal numbers or Up Arrows, which like other scenarios will upgrade the number on that first gong. This is a quick yet potentially lucrative bonus since you have up to 8 opportunities to line gongs up and secure a credit prize!
Tiger and Dragon Bonus
This bonus combines elements of the Tiger and Dragon individual bonuses, and can be triggered naturally with five Tiger and Dragon symbols appearing on a single reel, or at least one of each appearing on the reels can yield a random Tiger and Dragon bonus.
Here, the Lock & Respin format grants an initial three spins, with more spins awarded each time a gong lands. The reel set is expanded to 5×8. The wrinkle here is that the additional rows are locked until you land enough gongs. As you land more gongs, more rows can unlock, and if you land enough gongs (39 to be specific), you are automatically awarded the Grand jackpot progressive, on top of any of the prizes awarded on the gongs at the end of the bonus.
Like the other bonuses, rows with two or more adjacent gongs will reveal numbers and Up Arrows to determine the prizes.
Tiger and Dragon Player Testimonials
Fans of Brian Christopher Slots were among the first to see Tiger and Dragon in action as part of Rudies Weekend. Here are some of their comments after seeing the game live:
It was amazing - I really liked it! I loved the bonuses and the double bonuses at the same time. The excitement of the arrows was especially fun.
See the Tiger and Dragon Slot Machine in Action
IGT’s Pete Post showcases the game and its various features in this demo video:
And here’s a mega group pull that took place during Rudies Weekend 2024, Brian Christopher’s annual fan club convention:
Where to Play the Tiger and Dragon Slot Machine
The Tiger and Dragon slot machine is rolling out at casinos across the country. To find out where you can play it at a casino near you, check out IGT’s handy map that will let you know where you can play:
